erigkson



0. E. ERICKSON.

VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSiON. APPLICATION FlLED DEC. 27. 191?.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I,

C. E. ERICKSON.

VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27. 19M.

Patented. Oct. 7; 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. HQ I fizz/@4501? I Snmwcoz air sat a rs a raw CARL E. EBICKSON', 0FMENOMONIE, WISCONSIN VABIABLE-SPEEU TBANSMISSION.

hernias.

To all whom it may concern Be known that I, CARL E. Enronson, a citizenof the United States, residing at Menomonie, in the county of Dunn andState of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVariable- Speed Transmissions, of which the followcharacter describedwhich is exceedingly simple in construction and operation and which willeliminate the intricate gear shifting operations now necessary inconnection .with the usual transmissions, or the employin of magnetic orother forms of gear shifting means.

Other independent objects are to provide features of construction ofportions of the device which tend toward the attainment of the aboveaims irrespective of the relation in which they are used.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention consists, -t'urthermo-re, in the novel arrangement andcombination of the parts of the device, as well as in the details of theconstruction of the same, all of which will be more fully described inthe following specification, and then finally embodied in the clauses ofthe claim which are appended to the specification and which form anessential part of the same.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the device,

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section therethrough 1n the plane of thesectlon line 2-2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,,

Fig; 4 is a detail in perspec ive of the rotatable head, and,

,' Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented Qct. t, 1919.

. Application filed. December 27, 191 Serial No. 209,077.

Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective showing the relative positioning ofthe piston elements.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, 1 represents thedriving shaft of the power transmission means and 2 the driven shaftthereof. As will be noted, the

said shafts are supported in suitable bearings designated 3 and i.

Engaged with the free end of the driving shaft 1 in a suitable manner,is a casing seat 5, the said casing being circular in shape and having aplurality of peripherally disposed ape'rtured lugs 6'f0rmed thereon, thepurpose of which will be presently apparent. An annular closure plate 7is provided and carries apertured lugs 8, similar to the lugs 6, wherebyconnecting bolts 9 may be passed through the same when properly alined.In this connection, it-is to be noted that the closure plate 7 isprovided with a circular seat 10 adapted to receive a correspondinglyformed head 11 therein, which head is provided with a series oflaterally projecting flange segments defining openings 12 through whichblades or piston elements 13 are slidably arranged, it of course beingnoted that these piston elements extend diametrically across thec1rcular head 11.

The closure plate 7 is provided with a concentrically disposed sleeve 1iadapted to be engaged over the adjacent portion of the driven shaft 2and has its outer end efi'eotually closed by a stuiiing gland 15 whichgland ably screw threaded portlon 16 formed thereon.

The lower portion of the circular pasmg 5 or drum is provided with asemi-circular partition l'Z-having a valve seat 19 formed upon one facethereof, which seat corre-j sponds to the shape of the rotatable one isturned into engagement with a suitway valve 18 mountedbetween the saidpartition and the adjacent portion of the wall of the drum, which isofiset as at 20 for receiving the opposite side of the saidvalve.

The stem 21 of the rotatable valve is provided with a spiral gear 22,which gear in turn, is normally engaged by a worm gear 23 arranged onthe lower end of a sl1aft 24 mounted. in bearings 25.11pm the outer sideof the closure plate '2. A pinion 26 is ar ranged on. the upper end ofthe shaft and meshes with a rack; 27 carried on a collar slidable overthe sleeve la: of the closure plate. In order that the collar 28 can bemoved, a lever 29 is provided and has its lower end loosely engaged in asuitable bearing forn'ied on one end of the slidable cellar; it beingnoted that the lever [29 is mounted upon a. bracket 30 supportedadjacent the bearing 3, Thus, by rocking the lever 29 rotary motionwill. be in'ipartedto the shaft 2-4. and hence, to the valve 18, therebyalining the way in the same with the channel formed between thepartition l7 and the adjacent portion Off the wall of the drum 5.

Curved elements or shoulders 31 arealranged upon the inner side of thecasing or drum 5 and project inwardly tor a distance sutlicient topermit the sliding ns-tons 13 to be engaged therewith duringrotation ofthe head 11 in the said drnni.

T prevent leakage of the heavy fluid, such as oil or the like which isarrangml in the drum, a stuffing gland 32, engaged with the valve stem21 and GlfGC'tllltllY closes the hearing opening through which the sameextends.

In operation, and assuming that the drum is filled with a heavy fluidsuch as oil or the like, when the valve 18 is opened,- the casing ordrum connected to the driving shaft will be able to rotate about thehead ii, the said head, obviously ren'iaining stationary. Duringrotation of the drain about the head 11, the piston elements 13 carriedthereby will be moved due to their engagement with the curved shoulders31, thus permitting l'ree passage of the pr tition. 17 thereby, but, ofcourse, the shoulders are con'iparatively narrow so as to pern'iit theoil to oirculatefreely when the valve is open. However, as soon. as thelever 29 is open-tied so as to partially close the valve llhthe oil.Will then pass more slowly through the valve, thus producing a pressureon the piston G'lGlIlGlllJS 13 c: viried by the head member 11 and as acoi'isequence, causing the said head 11 and its respective 1 istonelements to rotate slowl alon with the drum 5, giving a certain speed ofrotation to the driven shaft 2. .llf the valve 18 is now entirelyclosed, the head member 11 together with its'piston elements 13 willretate at the same speed as the drum, giving the driven shaft theniaxinnnn or h' h speed.

1 desire to have it understood, rat the drum 5 is to be made heavyenoughv to serve as a fly wheel. However, by retai f the ordinary flywheel, the transn'nesion means ieieaee can be reversed in position andthe driven shaft 2 then serve as the driving shaft.

it of course will he understood that my invention may be effectuallyused. as a clutch whereby driving and driven.inerni'iers may beinterconnected in a manner such as will prevent the straining; ordistortion of the same due to the sudden. application of load or drivingtorque; the movement of the blades or piston cloi'nents 13 through thefluid contained by the casing, obviously, compensating for this andallowi. the load to be gradually applied to the driven niembcr's,

hl aniiiestly, the conatruction shown capable of considerableinoditicn'tion and such i'nodification as within the e oi my claims, Iconsider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with driving and driven shafts, a drum nunnited on oneof the shafts containing a heavy lluid, a closure plate for said drumprovided with an internal seat, a circular head rotatably mounted in theseat and engaged with the other shaft, flange segments carried by thehead, slidahle piston elements ci'inttined between the segments andengaged with the drum, head and plate, a 'iartition arranged in oneportion of the drum, curved slnmlders arranged adjacent the terminals ofthe pan tition and adapted to be engaged by the elidable pistonelements, and tluid controlling means arranged between the partition andadjacent portion of the drum for controlling the circulation of fluidthcrcii'i.

2-. In combination with driving and iflriven shafts, a drum mounted on.one of said shafts containing a heavy fluid, pistons rotatably mountedin said. drum and engagred with the other shaft and n'iovable radiallyof the latter, 3-; :tition arranged in the drum, tiuid coutiol valvearranged between the partition and the side wall of the drum, a. stemcarried by the valve pro ject-ing exteriorly of the drum, a radiallydisposed shaft rotatably supported upon the drum and having connection.with the valve stem whereby rotary movement of the shaft is transmittedto the valve a iinion carried hereto. w M

CARL luRl'CKSON.

